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(No Model.)

Latch.

Patented oct. 26, 1880.

-v "L, 'Hmmm lng/their...elfnrucl/#l v Hiram CEjyZeston, @www (No Model.) 2 Slleeets--S11e6t4 2. H. P. SPENCER 8: H. C. BGGLESTON.

Latch.

`No. 233,711. Patented Oct, 26,1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

HENRY F. SPENCER, OF RIPON, VVISGONSIN, AND HIRAM C. EGGLESTON,

OF HILLSDALE, MICHIGAN. i

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,711, dated October 26, 1880,

Application tiled June 21, 1880.

Vand to this end our aim has been to secure strength and durability in the attachments or fastening devices, together` with economy of manufacture and simplicity both in operation and in construct-ion of parts.

The subject-matter claimed will hereinafter be designated vafter irst fully describing our improvements by reference to the accompanying drawings, which show all of them as or-v ganized in the best way now known to ns.

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation, showing a portion of a barn or similar building` provided with a horizontally-swirlging door and our improved devices; Fig. 2, a view of a portion of the door as seen from the inside. Fig. 3 is a View, partly in plan and partly in vertical section, on the lines 3 3 of Figs. 4 and 7, showing the latch-bolt, handles, &c.; Fig. 4, an elevation of the main or outside handle and its attachments or immediate connections Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, parts being in a different position, or the handle raised or pulled out to withdraw the latch-bolt; Fig. 6, a detailed view, partly represented in dotted lines and in section on the line 6 6 of Fig. et,A to illustrate a feature in the construction not otherwise clearly shown. Fig. 7 is a view of the latch-bolt housing or case and lockcase detached, and as seen from the face orinside.

A latch-holt housing or case, B, covered at its inner or open side by a plate, B,resting in the seat l) b, and provided with the longitudinal securing-anges b b', is properly iitted and secured by screws upon a door, A, hinged at a a. The reciprocating latch or bolt C is operated upon by a push-spring, C', acting against its heel end. This spring bears at its (No model.)

rear against the end wall of the latch-bolt housing or guideway, and at its front against the heel of this bolt. A screw, cl, close to which the bolt-shank D moves as it reciprocates, serves to limit the outer movement ofthe latch-bolt. The heel-stud orlateral projection d strikes against the stop d at this extreme of the outward movement ofthe bolt, thus properly stopping the latch. The screw d holds the plate B in place.

It will be seen that the latch proper of the bolt and the heel end of the latch-bolt extend across between the side walls of the housing, or till the way for the latch bolt and insure steady to-and-fro movement as the latch-bolt is reciprocated.

A lock-cavity, E, is provided laterally to the latch-bolt in the housing B, and is one casting therewith, by preference.

The bolt e of a lock, E', of suitable construction engages behind a shoulder or in a recess, c, in the latch-bolt, and secures itin the position shown by the drawings. Any suitable, simple, and strong lock and its key will serve the purpose desired, so long as the lock is adapted in shape and action to the cavity or seat E and has its bolt to worklaterally to the latch-bolt, as shown. A side projection of the plate B serves to secure the lock.

A lugged and slotted plate or cap-piece, F, is iitted upon the side of the door opposite that upon which the housing B, its lock-cavity,and the lock are secured. A vibrating handle, F', with a curved nose or hooked arm, f', at the end of its shank f, is pivoted by trnnnions g g in open bearings or slots formed in lugs g g in this cap-piece, as clearly shown by the drawmos.

t',lhe handle-shank plays in the longitudinal slot G in the cap-piece as the handleis rocked and moved out or away from the door tocompress the spring G and retract the latch, and also when the handle rocks back or folds against the door, as it does automatically when released by the hand, as will presently fully be explained.

A rigid inner handle, H, for the latch-bolt works in a slot-, h, in the latch-bolt casing, and is in this instance cast in a single piece with the latch-bolt. This inner or secondary handle IOO serves to operate the latch from one side ot' the door, while the outer or main handle controls the fastening from the other side. 'lhe pivoted folding handle normally occupies the position in which it is shown in the drawingsthat is, it lies flat against the door, so as to be out of the way and protected from injury. This folding handle is not affected by the working of the latch-bolt by the handle H, and whether the latclrbolt be operated by or independently of, and without disturbing the folding handle, this handleis securely dogged against vibration and held in its folded position as soon as the spring C is allowed to act upon releasing that handle by which thelatchbolt may have been withdrawn.

The nose or arinf of the outer handle engages the latch -bolt by way of the stud I. rl his stud is cast with the latch-bolt and handle Hin this instance, but might be separately formed and attached, or the handle H and stud I might be inade together separate from the latch-bolt, and secured in a slot therethrough or at the side thereof.

The nose of the handle ITl and the latch-stud I behind said nose work in a slot, J, in the. door, and the stud may be depended upon for a stop to limit the shoot of the latch, and the screw d be dispensed with, if desired.

It will be seen that as the plate B rests in a seat upon the ledges b b, both lengthwise of and laterally to the housing or casing B, there is no possibility of displacement of this plate when the fastening is secured to a door by screws passed through the base-anges b b.

From the above description it will be seen that normally the parts occupy the positions in which they are represented by the drawings, with the ring-handle flat against the door and protected from injury; that a pull on the handle contracts the spring' and withdraws the latch to release the door, (the keyhaving been previously used, when a lock is employed, to unlock when necessary5) and that as soon as the strain by hand is relaxed the handle F folds back, due to the action of the spring C. The handle H is simply slid back to withdraw the latch, and this Without rocking the handle F'.

By casting the cap-piece F with the'open bearings in the lugs g g to receive the side pivots or trunnions, g g, of the handle, and forming these pivots large and upon the shank ofthe handle, strength and durability are se cured with economy and simplicity.

We do not broadly claim reciprocating spring-latches or latch-bolts operated from the opposite sides of doors by different handles, nor do we broadly claim a folding handle for latches, 85e.; neither do we unqualifiedly claim the combination of a spring latch-bolt, its handles, and a lock. l/Ve are well aware that such parts and various combinations of features such as above referred to are, when broadly considered, older than our invention.

We claim as of our own inventionl. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the latch-bolt provided with the stud and acted upon by the spring, and the pivoted fiat folding handle having the curved nose or hooked arm in front of and engaging the latch -bolt stud to operate said bolt, which also has the capacity ot' retraction independently of said handle, and serves to dog the handle in its folded position.

2. The combination ot' the latch-bolt housing, the reciprocating latch -bolt having the single stud, the spring acting on the latchbolt, the pivoted handle having the nose or arm acting' on the latch-bolt stud and dogged in its folded position, as described, and the ixedly-attached handle ot' the latch-bolt, work ing in a slot in the housing and serving to operate the latch-bolt without rockin g the folding handle, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our naines.

HENRY F. SPENCER. l HIRAM G. EGGLESTON.

Witnesses as to signature of Henry F. Spencer:

W. R. LYLE, MoR'roN POTTER.

`Witncsses as to signature of Hiram U. Eggleston:

L. I). REYNOLDS, E. K. PENNELL. 

